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Thursday, October 17, 2013

This Boy...

Is he the cutest or what?? Oh I just want to eat him right up.

I was reading through old blog posts, and I found this one that I wrote only four months ago, "A Love Letter to my Tantruming Twenty-Two Month Old." As humorous as that post is, and as true as it may have been during that moment in time, it's not true of Noah's personality now--and I realized that I need to set the record straight so Noah doesn't go down in history as a terrible, terrorizing two-year old. The truth is, he is incredibly sweet and well-behaved, and though of course he has his moments and his meltdowns (believe me, he's not immune to tantrums on occasion), I know how lucky I am to have such a sweetheart on my hands. I am so grateful.

And so I want to record for posterity some of the moments from the past few months that have made me thankful for my happy, loving, content little boy. He is such a gift.

*Whenever I ask "May I have a kiss-kiss?" he runs over and plants one on my lips. He is always willing to give a hug, a squeeze, or a kiss when I need one.

*I have a very loud sneeze, and whenever I let out an "Ahhh-chooo!" that rattles the house, Noah exclaims, "HOLY SHNIKEY!" (He learned that saying from his dad.)

*When we were leaving the parking lot at church not too long ago, Noah said out-of-the-blue, "Bye, Jesus!" :)

*Whenever Noah spills something and looks at me with teary eyes and a frown, I always say, "It's okay--everybody makes mistakes." And then I show him how to wipe up the mess and spot mop or whatever needs to be done. Well the other day, I accidentally dropped a bowl of ranch dressing on the floor, and it splattered everywhere. I let out a discouraged sigh (it had been a long day) and just stared at the mess in dismay. Noah was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at me with big, concerned eyes, and after a few moments of silence, he piped up, "It's okay, Mommy--everybody makes mistakes. Let's just clean it up." I think my heart melted on the spot.

*Sometimes when Noah is playing in his room, and I am working in the kitchen, I will randomly yell, "I love you, Baby!" And he yells back, "I love you, Mommy!" Then I'll add, "You're my best friend!" And he responds, "You're my best friend too, Mommy!" We'll continue this yelling game across the house for several minutes. "You're my favorite!" "You're my favorite too, Mommy!" "I love you so much!" "I love you so much!" :)

*Whenever I ask him if he wants something, he will respond, "Yes, sir!" or "Yes, sireee!" And if he doesn't want it, he will respond, "No, fank you." His good manners make me smile (again, his dad taught him these phrases).

*He loves trains, buses, airplanes...pretty much anything to do with transportation. So he was in heaven during our flight to Denver last week. He loved the bus from long-term parking, the moving walkways and escalators in the airport, the trains to the different concourses, and of course the airplane itself. He was so good on the flight that I even got to sit and read a book while he stared out the window. Unheard of.

Don't mind the bedhead.

*When we were in Denver, my four-year-old nephew Callum wanted to show Noah an episode of the cartoon Tom and Jerry. Cal loves this show and laughs hysterically every time the villianous cat gets an anvil dropped on his head or falls off a cliff or whatever. Noah had quite a different reaction. At first, he just seemed utterly baffled by it and kept saying, "Oh no!" and "Uh oh!" when something bad happened to the cat. But then his dismay escalated, and he started shouting, "He needs help! He needs help!" when the cat was in trouble. We turned off the TV in a hurry when poor Noah let out a shriek of terror as a tree was falling on top of the naughty cat. What a sweetheart. I had never thought about how odd that cartoon is until I watched it with an innocent two-year-old who just wants to help when people (or cats) are in trouble. We'll see if he finds that show funny in a couple of years... :)

*Noah sings constantly. He sings songs from his nursery class at church, such as "I Am a Child of God," "Popcorn Popping," and "Give Said the Little Stream." He also makes up songs about whatever toy he is playing with or situation he is in. His imagination has totally blossomed since he turned two, and it is fun to hear him playing with toys and making up their conversations or singing to them. With Noah in our home, there is a constant hum of chatter and song. I love it.

*Noah is smart and constantly surprises me with what he remembers or how he applies knowledge from one situation to another. When we went to a historic farm with his cousins last week, he was sitting in a wheel barrow and kicked Jade over when she tried to climb in with him. (That was a terrible twos moment.) I put him in time-out on a bench nearby, and when I came over to talk to him about it a few minutes later, I asked, "Do you know why you are in time-out?" He said, "Because I kicked my cousin. We never kick cousins; we only kick a ball!" I'm sorry--how could I not burst out laughing? I loved that he not only knew that he isn't supposed to kick Jade, but he also knew that he is supposed to kick a ball. (Again, his father's influence.)

Isn't he just the sweetest little boy? Don't you just love him and his fun personality? I simply cannot get enough of him, and I don't want these years to end. He was such a difficult baby, but he has been an incredibly delightful toddler, and I am trying to savor every moment. I've heard from several people that three is actually the year that a lot of children get defiant and sassy, so I am soaking up the twos. And whenever he does have a terrible moment (like the other day when I spent 30 minutes getting him and his cousins ready for a walk, and then within two minutes Noah fell over--not hard, might I add--and screamed so loudly and for so long that we had to turn around and go home), I try to stay patient and give him the benefit of the doubt. I think every two year old (and every person, for that matter) is allowed to have a meltdown once in a while. I know I certainly have them on occasion.

THE LITTLE GAL

Lover of squishes from Mama, snuggles from Daddy, and tickles from Brother

Who feels content and smiley first thing in the morning

Who needs shoes that will actually stay on her kicking, wiggly feet

Who gives mega-watt grins that melt the heart

Who fears the raucous (but affectionate) smothering of her older brother

Who would like to see her aunties and grandparents more often

Resident of a comfy one-story home where she is the queen

THE LITTLE GUY

Lover of the Polar Express, all things sugar, and his "Baby Sister"

Who feels ecstatic when "chuffing" one of his beloved trains around the house

Who needsexplanations for everything, big and small

Who gives strangers a reason to smile with his friendly chatter

Who fears"spooky" shadows, scary scenes in movies, and toilets that flush by themselves

Who would like to see a friend come over to play every single day

Resident of a house covered in photos of him and his sister

RACH

Lover of conversationswith a kindred, homemade chocolate chip cookies, and Idaho sunsetsWho feels overwhelmingly happy when nibbling on one of her delicious childrenWho needs daily quiet time to thinkWho fears losing someone else whom she loves

Who givescare packages to her friends and love letters to her kids and RyanWho would like to see more openness, compassion, and individuality in the worldResident of a little house with cute daisy bushes in front

RY

Lover of ice cream, the night sky, and dance parties with his happy kidsWho feels glorious at the peak of an Idaho mountainWho needs alone time to just look at the ceiling when he gets home from workWho gives froyo gift certificates and sugar-free suckers to his dental patientsWho fears talking on the phone and settling for less than his potentialWho would like to see family cartrips in a minivan to explore the WestResident of Twin Falls, ID

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Favorite Quotes

"Don't you quit. You keep walking, you keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead...Trust God, and believe in good things to come." Jeffrey R. Holland

"I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility...he sees something divine in every other man and is endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful." John Ruskin

"God is the gardener here. He knows what He wants you to be." Hugh B. Brown

"You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt

"In this life, we cannot do great things--only small things with great love." Mother Teresa"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing." Ben Franklin"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning." Gordon B. Hinckley

"A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." Joseph Smith

"Come what may, and love it." Joseph B. Wirthlin

"Oh the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are -- chaff and grain together -- certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away." George Eliot

"If I were sunk into the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all of the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I would not be discouraged, but hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage, and I should come out on the top of the heap." Joseph Smith

"After the bare requisites to living and reproducing,man wants most to leave some record of himself, a proof, perhaps, that he has really existed. He leaves his proof on wood, on stone, on the lives of other people." John Steinbeck

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself has changed, but that our power to do is increased." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Mary Oliver

"Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them. But do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight." Helen Keller